Today
Jakarta
- 29 °C
Other Publications
CALGAP opens forum in Banda Aceh to promote development
Wed, 06/25/2008 10:32 AM | Business
(JP/Hotli Simanjuntak)
Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia John Holmes (left) officially inaugurated Tuesday the office of the Communication Forum of Local Governments and Legislators in Nangore Aceh Darussalam's provincial capital of Banda Aceh.
He was accompanied by Bireuen Regent Nurdin Abdul Rahman (from left), Nangroe Aceh Darussalam Deputy Governor Muhammad Nazar and chief executive officer of the Federation of Canadian Municipality (FCM) Brock Carlton.
The Forum is sponsored by the Canada Aceh Local Government Assistance Program (CALGAP), which is a key component of Canada's post-tsunami reconstruction assistance strategy. CALGAP is a three-and-a-half year, C$10 million program sponsored jointly by the Canadian government and the FCM.
CALGAP country program manager Basile Gilbert said the Forum was essentially a lobby group for regents and mayors to assist the provincial government in developing their areas.
The Forum, he added, was also a vehicle for dialogue between regency and municipality administrations.
The Forum's coordinator, Nurdin Abdul Rahman, said the Forum would soon lobby the provincial government to seek higher shares of revenues from oil and gas, as well as from special autonomy funds allocated by the central government to the Aceh provincial administration. -- JP/Rendi Akhmad Witular
